This invention relates to mouthguards and their manufacture, and represents further improvements that I have made in connection with my continuing development work on mouthguards.
My pending patent applications that are mentioned above, include disclosures involving multi-laminar (multi-layer) construction. I have found that these improvements provide a mouthguard that can be manufactured on a production basis (as distinguished from custom-made mouthguards) and that can exhibit improved functionality when properly used by an individual. Thus, in certain respects, my inventive activity relates to improvements in mouthguards that are intended to be sold commercially, such as by sporting goods companies, mass-merchandisers and the like.
In general, the mouthguards that are disclosed in my above pending applications comprise a main body of higher durometer material which contains upper and lower troughs in which a lower durometer liner material is situated.
The present invention involves further improvements in the design and manufacture of multi-laminar mouthguards.
One aspect of my invention relates to a construction in which the main body is constructed to provide for internal zones of material that has durometer lower than that of the main body. The inclusion of these lower durometer zones offers the possibility for improved impact absorbtion, and hence, improved performance. The embodiment of such internal lower durometer zones can be accomplished in any of several unique ways.
One way is by fabricating the main body in two halves, providing one or more pockets in one or both of the two halves at locations where the two halves interface with each other, and filling the pockets with lower durometer material. The filling of the pockets with lower durometer material may be accomplished by means of injecting material into the pockets, or by placing an insert into the pockets before the two halves of the main body are placed together. The insert may be a piece of suitable material or it may be a gel-type, or even fluid, material that is encapsulated within an enclosure, such as a sac or bag.
Another aspect of the invention relates to the manner in which the two pieces of the main body are fabricated. In particular, the two halves of the main body can be fabricated as identical parts that can fit together to create the complete main body. This result is obtained in the disclosed embodiment by fabricating locating means in each part that are identical from part to part, but which in each part are complementary in a symmetrical manner in the individual part.
A related aspect of the multi-piece main body construction involves the attachment of an attaching strap when such an attaching strap is desired in the mouthguard. Suitable pocketry can be fashioned in the two halves for acceptance of an attaching end portion of an attaching strap that fits into the pocketry so that when the two halves are placed together, the attaching end portion of the attaching strap is captured between them. The portion of the strap that fits to the main body has a locating means for properly locating the strap with respect to the main body.
A still further feature of the invention relates to the shaping of the mouthguard in certain regions thereof. One improvement involves the creation of a slightly indented area in the occlusal wall of the main body in the molar regions. Another involves the use of the rim of the liner material to form a smoothly rounded rim of a trough's buccal wall; in particular the rim of the liner material forms a significant portion of the wall containing the trough rim, and its smooth rounded shape promotes wearer comfort.
Further features, advantages, and benefits of the invention will be seen in the ensuing description and claims. These are accompanied by drawings which illustrate a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, according to the best mode contemplated at the present time in carrying out the invention.